In retaliation to the U.S. approval of long-range missiles capable of reaching deep into Russian territory, President Vladimir Putin signed a decree Tuesday granting the authority to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states if nuclear powers back Moscow’s actions.
Hours later, Ukraine launched a strike on Russia’s Bryansk region, firing six U.S.-made ATACMS missiles, according to Russian news agencies citing the Russian Defense Ministry.
Russian air defenses intercepted five of the missiles, damaging one, while debris from another hit a military facility, sparking a fire.
The attack resulted in no casualties or damage, the ministry said.
Russia had previously denounced the U.S. move as reckless, warning it could escalate into direct U.S. involvement in the conflict.
Russia has also begun mass production of "KUB-M" mobile bomb shelters designed to withstand a variety of threats, including radiation, shockwaves, and fires, according to the Emergency Ministry's research institute.
Resembling reinforced shipping containers, these units can be deployed in extreme environments, such as Russia’s northern permafrost, and can accommodate up to 54 people, with options for modular expansion.
While officials avoided directly linking the shelters to current events, the announcement comes amid escalating tensions in the Ukraine war.
Moscow's forces are advancing rapidly, marking their most significant gains since the conflict's early days in 2022, as Western nations ramp up military aid to Ukraine.
The situation on the ground remains dire.
A Russian drone strike overnight in Ukraine's Sumy region killed seven people, including a child, and injured more than 10 others, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported Tuesday.
The strike leveled a dormitory in the town of Glukhiv, located just 10 kilometers (6.21 miles) from the Russian border.
"Tragically, we know that seven lives, including a child, were lost in this attack," Zelenskyy shared on social media, posting a video of rescue workers pulling bodies from the rubble. Two children were among the injured, and others may still be trapped beneath the debris.
The assault follows another deadly Russian missile strike in Sumy two days earlier, which killed eight people, including a child.
The region has been a hot spot of violence, with Russian aerial attacks decimating infrastructure and displacing civilians near the front lines.
As the conflict reaches what some officials describe as a critical and dangerous phase, Russia's bomb shelter initiative signals preparation for prolonged instability.
